As scary as it sounds, the warm weather is slipping away (for us Northern hemisphere inhabitants) and with it, the open-air festival season. Our sales have been through the roof during the summer and early fall months, so I know you guys must be working your tails off at fairs and festivals. About this time of year though, our sales usually start to slow down a bit.
Last year, I decided that I wasn't going to participate in the "recession" that everyone was talking about and that affirmation has worked brilliantly for me. This year, I have decided that I don't want to participate in the annual slow season either. Fortunately for us, we have our friends in Oz and the other Southern hemisphere folks that are just getting into their warm weather months and are placing their orders.
In addition to pursuing customers in other parts of the world, we have been thinking of ways to market our products to other customer groups within the US. With the beginning of the school year, Cheerleaders and other school fundraising groups are just getting warmed up. Our products are perfect for group fundraising projects. Salons and Spas offer temporary tattoos year-round to people who are going to parties or leaving for cruises. With proper packaging and marketing, our products would make great holiday gifts. You can see that with an open mind and a little effort, we can open ourselves up to a whole new customer base.
So how can you translate this into something useful for you as a professional face and body artist? Now that the street parties and carnivals are tapering off, are you just going to accept that it's time to slow down and start tightening your belt? For those of you whose families don't depend on your income, perhaps this is a great time of year to focus on spending time with your family and taking care of projects around the house. But for some of us, our income is indispensible. You have to start thinking of markets that you hadn't previously pursued.
Birthdays happen every day of the year. If you have always focused on festival work as your primary source for gigs, you may still have a very large potential client base who have never been exposed to your talent. Where do other party professionals in your area advertise? Our area has several local publications (including one specifically for parents) which offer relatively inexpensive advertising. You may even find one that will give you free advertising in exchange for you writing an article for their publication.
When outdoor events are no longer possible, many events simply move indoors. Check with your local malls and convention centers for events where you might set up a booth or where you could be hired by someone who needs to bring attention to their company. Corporate events and grand openings are also held year-round.
Network with other party professionals in your area, such as DJ's, photographers, and caterers. Many "adult" events will still have children in attendance that will need to be entertained. Also, event organizers may not have even considered that adults would enjoy face & body painting or temporary tattoos.
Grab a piece of paper and start brainstorming. List all of the people and events where you think your services would go over well. Then create publicity packages that are targeted for those potential clients. Start contacting your local fundraising groups at schools and community organizations and show them how you can help them earn money (while you earn money as well, of course). Contact restaurants and talk to them about having a family night with entertainment for the kids.
Just keep a positive attitude and know that there aren't fewer clients and events during the cooler months of the year, there are simply different clients and events. You just have to tweak your marketing plans a bit to reach these other clients and to make them see the benefit in hiring you.
Best wishes for another wonderfully prosperous month.
~Erika
